How I love those brilliantly spectacular days when the sun shines, and there’s not a cloud in the sky. The breeze is calm, and the air is fresh. I could sit under a tree and watch nature just “happen.” These days come only a few times a year, and when they do, I remind myself to allow my soul to take it all in. Every breath. Every sound. Everything.

But sometimes the breeze blows.

What will you do when the winds pick up? Will you be like the papers swept up like leaves in autumn, swirling in an unrestrained and directionless adventure? Is this an opportunity to move faster and faster as others struggle to stop you? When the wind-swell pauses, will you be stepped on to ensure you don’t take advantage of another chance at freedom? What about the papers that got away? How important were they? Are these the parts of yourself you always wanted to shed? Or were they arranged in alphabetical order and are now disordered, their ultimate meaning diminished?

When the winds pick up will you be like seagulls on the sand, hurriedly taking flight to avoid the incoming tide? Will you have the chance to grab a morsel of sustenance before the seafoam washes it away? Will you take this opportunity to soar between the rays of sunshine and use your wings to carry you up and away from all that impedes you on the shore? Is this simply a sudden seizure, or could it lead to a joyous journey? Did the wind lure you, or was it pushing you away? And where will you land? Will you return to the sand and reluctantly risk the revisiting tide? Or will you brave the waves and embrace the unrestrained, unpredictable seesawing waters?

On the horizon, the sailboats with their proud sails wander past. When the wind picks up will you adjust the sail to maintain control, or will you allow the breeze to determine your direction and destination? Why do you sail? Are you enamored of the spontaneity in being a passenger on a boat without a float plan? Or do you panic in fear of this perilous journey going awry? Will there be someone to save you? Can you swim and save yourself?

When the winds pick up where will you be? Will you be like me before I found the right kind of glue to put all my broken pieces back together? Will the shards that threaten to slice through our skin fit within the remaining spaces to render this container safe to handle? Or will you discard the broken bits of uselessness that once had purpose and usefulness? Will you have no hope for reassembling what used to be you? Would you not seek glue to fix yourself? Would you not have been valued enough to be worthy of being repaired and saved? Will you still matter, or will you be unrecognizable unwanted matter?

What will happen when the winds pick up? I know. I already have a plan. I will let them lift me like a kite so I can have a better view of my world. I will allow myself to embrace the freeing feeling of flight. If I choose to change direction, I will shift my stance and know this is my decision, and I will embrace it. And when I tire, I will find a quiet place to find rest and solitude. Wherever I am when the winds pick up, I maintain my belief that we are always where we are supposed to be.

When your winds pick up, you might be paper, a bird, boat, broken vessel, or even a kite. All things have a purpose that can be changed, lost, shattered, fixed, or saved. It’s up to you.

Rest assured, the certainty of the winds picking up reminds me of my promise and my reason to let them embrace me. Like a hug, they can touch my skin, and remind me that I live in a world that unfailingly spins and moves. I will let them move my soul so that I can dance and spin and feel it flow through my hair. I know I can use the winds to propel me to where I can make a difference for others. When my spirit feels broken, the winds will dry the glue that brings me back to life.

Let the winds pick you up and bring you home, wherever your home is. That’s a beautiful place to be, especially when your sleepy soul needs rest. But never ever shutter yourself in to resist them. You deserve the freedom of flight. That is my wish for you.